Timer-distributer



E. R. HDGES.

TIMER msmum MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I9. 1911. 1,31 1,893, Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

/lwE/vrof? EDWHRD R. HDEEE ,/f Amm/vn EDWARD "R. HODGES, 0F

IRVING'TON, .NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOI SPLITDORF ELEC- TRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TIMER-DISTRIBUTER MECHANIS`M.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

Application filed November 19` 1917. Serial No. 202.712.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. HoDGEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timer-Distributer Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. 1

In the use of timer distributers for battery ignition systems some means should be provided for the adjustment of the contact operating device, whereby when the timer distributer is .installed on the eng'ine with which it is to operate, the proper timing of the contact with respect to the travel of the engine piston may be readily obtained,

In the past it has been customary to use a split shaft or a supplemental shaft end attached to the main shaft and to fasten the cam which operates the movable contact member thereto by means of a taper screw which spreads the split portion of the shaft or supplemental shaft so that it grips the side surfaces of the hole in the cam which is placed upon the split end of the shaft.

Another method that has been used to some extent is to provide a taper on the end of the operating shaft and cooperating taper hole in the cam, drawing the cam down on to the tapered shaft by means of a nut or screw. During the final tightening of the nut or screw the cam is very apt to be turned out of its proper position thus throwing out the timer, all of which is well understood by one skilled in. these matters.

Still another method which has been proposed is that of cutting teeth or making indentations in the end of the driving shaft and in the en'd of the cam and using a screw for holding the parts from relative longitudinal movement and utilizing the teeth or indentations to prevent rotary motion.

It is the object o f my invention to provide a mechanism which may be readily and accurately adjusted for 'the purpose of timing and which may-bereadily locked in position without any danger, during the locking process, of throwing .the cam out of its proper adjusted position.- Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which issimpler in 'construction and hence cheaper to manufacture than any of the devices heretofore used, of which I am aware.

These and other objects will be apparent the contact and distributing operating dey vices.

Referring now to the details in which like numbers refer to corresponding parts in the different views, 1 is a timer plate upon which is mounted a movable contact member 2 carrying contact 3 which is adapted to coperate with a stationary adjustable lcontact 4 that is carried by an insulated block 5.

fastened to the plate 1. 6 is a condenser which is adapted to be connected across the breaker points 3 and 4 in the usual manner.

which has an annular groove 9 near its end to receive a thrust collar 10, which inF ig. 1 is broken away so as to show the groove 9. The end of the shaft 8 terminates in a spindle 11 having internal threads 12. The end of the spindle 11 is counterbQred at 13 to make room for the head of the screw 19 which has a taper 20, the functions of which will be hereinafter referred to. The wall of the spindle 11 has preferably a plurality of holes 14 made therein. The holes 14 are adapted to support gripping members which are shown in the form of balls 18. The cam 15 has hole 17 passing therethrough and terminates in a thimble 16, the outer portion of which carries a slot 21 cut across its end, preferably off center, to receive a distributing finger 22 that distributes the high tension current to the contacts 23 of distributer block 24 in the usual and well understood manner. l

A shown in Fig. 1 the cam 15, having a hole 17, is adapted to slide over the spindle 11 and the screw 19 is then turned downward after the cam l5 has been set to its proper location, until the tapered portion 20 engages the gripping members 18 forcing them outward against the...interior portion of the cam 15, it being understood that Athe gripping members 18 are larger in diameter Fig. 5 is a view of .pa-rt of the adjusting Aand locking means.

i is a bearing member supporting shaft 8 gripping members 18 ten s to lock the screw 19 in position but other well known locking means may be used to prevent the screw 19 from turning after it has been set securely in position. It will now be understood that for the purpose of adjustment, screw 19 is merely turned backward suiciently to allow the gripping members 18 to let go of the cam 15 which may then be turned to the required position and the screw turned down again to locking position.

I have found this device to be much more efficient than other devices now in the market for the purpose, and I, therefore, desire -to be limited in my invention-only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my inventionwhat I claim is 1. In an ignition timer, the combination of'a driving shaft, a cam carried byA said shaft, a contact member operated by said cam, means for adjusting and locklng in position said cam on said .shaft consisting of balls supported by said shaft with means for spreading said balls outward into engagement with vsaid cam.

'2. In an ignition t1mer,;the combination' of a driving shaft, a cam carried by said shaft, a contact member operated b said cam, means for adjusting and locking inposition said cam on said shaft consisting of balls supported by said shaft anda screw having a tapered end adapted to pass through said cam-and screw into the end 0f said shaft whereby said tapered end spreads said balls outward to engagey said cam.

3. In an ignition timer, the combination of an operating shaft, a hollow cam carried on said shaft, a contact member operated by said cam, gripping members loosely supported in the side wall of said shaft within the hollow part of said cam, and means engaging the shaft for forcing said gripping members into engagement with the interior part of smid cam.

4. In an ignition timer, the combination of an operating shaft Laving an interiorly threaded end and a thrust collar groove near said end, a thrust collar to fit said groove, a hollow cam carried on'the end of said shaft, a contact member operated by said cam, gripping members supported 1n the.

of the shaft for forcing said gripping memengagement with the interior part of said cam. y v

5. In an ignition timer, the combination of an operating shaft terminating in an ,internally threaded spindle, said spindle having a plurality of holes therethrough with gripping members seated therein, a contact operatin member consisting of a hollow cam having a thimble projecting therefrom, said cam and thimble bein adapted to be carried on said shaft spin le, and a screw having a tapered point engaging the threads in said spindle for spreading said gripping members `outwardly through'said holes into engagement with said cam.

6. In an ignition vtimer distributer, the combination of an operating shaft terminating in an internally threaded spindle, said spindle having a plurality of holes therethrough with gripping members seated therein, a contact operating member consisting of a hollow cam having a thimble projecting therefrom, said cam and thimble being adapted to be carried on said shaft sisting of a hollow cam terminating in a slotted thimble, said cam and thimble being adapted to fit over said spindle, means engaging said spindle for forcing said gripping means outward into engagement with the interior wall of said cam, and a distributing finger carried by said thimble and having a part to engage the slot in the thimble for the purpose described.

8. In an ignition timer, the combination of an operating shaft terminating in a hollow spindle and havin gripping members supported by the spin le wall and extending therethrough into the hollow portion, a hollow .i contact operating member adapted to fit over said spindle and means for forcing saidgripping members into engagement with the interior part of said contact operating member for the purpose described.

EDWARD R. HODGi .i 

